Hughes: Barton to remain as captain

Hughes was unveiled as Neil Warnock's successor on Tuesday and 24 hours later he gave his backing to midfielder Barton, despite his career having been dogged by controversy.

"Joey's the captain and I see no reason to change that, as we speak,'' Hughes told QPR Player.

"Obviously, I'll be having conversations with all the players and understanding the dynamics of the team. But it's not my intention to take the captaincy away.''

Hughes intends to take stock of his current squad before deciding how much of the reported £20 million-£30 million he has to spend before the end of the January transfer window.

"It's all well and good saying there's a certain amount but you've got to be able to spend it in the right way and with the right players,'' said Hughes, who has reportedly already lodged a bid for Chelsea defender Alex.